Drinking fountain



H. w. TAYLOR 1,957,862

DRINKING FOUNTAIN Original Filed Nov. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HIV/.55) w- Tfl mm TTORNEY May 8, 1934.

H. W. TAYLOR DRINKING FOUNTAIN Original Filed Nov. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1.93

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DRINKING FGUNTAIN Halsey W. Taylor, Warren, Ohio Application November 9, 1931, Serial No. 573,790 Renewed February 23, 1934 1 Claim.

My present invention pertains to an improvement in drinking fountains, especially a drinking fountain head of the kind and type shown in my Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,286,835, dated Dec. 3, 1918 in which a jet or nipple provided with a plurality of outlets is utilized to deliver an arc-shaped flowing body or stream of water having a mound of less width than height at its crest. Such stream while per- -mitting drinking with facility and satisfaction and preventing collection of germs of disease at the point of contact with the lips still enables contamination of the delivery nozzle by persons coming in contact with the fountain nozzle while drinking therefrom. The present improvement is designed to facilitate the discharge of an arcuate stream of water from a simple and compact fountain head and at the same time absolutely safe-guard the stream and nozzle from contamination and meddlesome interference in operation. For such purpose the fountain nozzle or jet is provided with a plurality of spaced outlet passages inclined relatively to each other in a plane angularly related to the vertical axis of the nozzle and the plane of the arcuate stream to be produced. Spacing of these outlets with respect to each other is chosen to permit drinking with facility and satisfaction when the lips of the drinking person are located opposite the drinking mound of the stream but to prevent approach of the lips of such person toward the jet beyond the drinking mound as the separate streams thereof will spatter into the face of the person when closely approaching the nozzle.

The two outlet openings of the nozzle are furthermore protected against contamination by guard members and a protecting skirting, all as hereinafter more fully described in the specification exemplifying a form of my invention and the drawings forming part thereof, and as more concisely set forth in the appended claim.

In these drawings, Fig. l is a plan view of the stream delivering or nozzle member, with a stream of water issued therefrom shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side view and Fig. 3 a front view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the nozzle on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 a sectional View of the nozzle on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 through 10 show a somewhat modified iform of the structure, embodying three outlets arranged in angular relation to each other. Thus, Fig. 6 is a plan view of such a stream delivering or nozzle member, with a stream of water issued therefrom in dotted lines. Fig. '7 is a side view and Fig. 8 a front view of Fig. 6, while Figs.

9 and 10 are sectional views on line 99 of Fig. 8 and line 10-10 of Fig. '7 respectively.

In detail, the invention comprises a nozzle or delivery member 2 made of cast metal or china and formed with a relatively large central water passage 3, terminating in a plurality of outlets l and 5 respectively. As shown, in Fig. 5, these outlets or passages communicate through passage 3 with a common source of supply (not shown) and are inclined relatively toward each other. The passages are arranged in a single plane angulariy related to the vertical axis of nozzle member 2 and to the plane of the stream to be produced, so that in dispensing water from nozzle 2, two symmetrical jets of water '7 and 8, respectively, are ejected into confiuxion and projected as a single water column 9 inclined to the vertical. Single column 9 is more or less flattened and distended on curved lines and provides a distinctive mound at the crest of the arc of flowing water. The two outlet passages 4 and 5 of nozzle 2 are arranged at the same elevation and are so inclined toward each other that the two ejected water streams 7 and 8 meet at approximately 3 to 4 inches above said nozzle:the effect being a single confluent water stream flattened in two planes, first in an inclined plane, and second in a vertical plane. This stream of water forms a drinking mound beyond the point of confluence and at the crest of the curve where the stream reaches its highest altitude, which mound is narrow enough to pass into one side of the mouth and also deep enough to permit taking of a large draft.

The outlets of passages 4 and 5 are approximately 1 to 1 /2 inches spaced from each other to guard the nozzle against the lips of a person tending to approach same, which arrangement assures that the separate jets of water will splash into the face of such person, when approaching the nozzle beyond the meeting point of its separate streams.

Contact of the lips of a person with the outlets of passages 4 and 5 is furthermore prevented by a shield member 10 arranged in spaced relation with respect to and spanning both outlets of said passages. Shield member 10 as shown, forms an integral part of body 2 and is provided with a pair of openings 11 through which the separate streams of water pass before coming together for common delivery and with the result and effect as described.

Contact of the lips with openings 11 in shield member 10 is finally prevented by skirt or guard member 12 having arcuate shape, and forming an integral part of body 2. The modified form of the nozzle or delivery member shown in Figs. 6 to 10 closely resembles the structure of Figs. 1 to 5, previously described, except that the relatively large central water passage 3 terminates in three outlets or passages 14, 15, and 16 respectively.

Two of these passages, to wit; passages 14 and 15, are arranged in a single plane, angularly related to the vertical axis of nozzle member 2 and to the plane of the stream to be produced. The third passage 16 is inclined with respect to the two passages 14 and 15, and so located that the three axes of said passages converge in a single point 1'7 forwardly of nozzle member 2. In dispensing water from member 2, two symmetrical jets of water 17 and 18, and a third jet of water 19 symmetrical with respect to the jets of water 17 and 18 are ejected into confluxion and projected as a single water column 21 inclined to the vertical. This column closely resembles column 9 of the structure shown in Figs. 1 through 5 with the exception that the drinking mound 21 formed beyond the point of confluence of the jets of water at the crest of the curve, where the stream reaches its highest altitude, is of relatively greater length and depth. The width of the mound 21 is almost equal to the width of the mound 9 of the two stream projector or nozzle shown in Figs. 1-5 and narrow enough to pass into one side of the mouth.

The purpose of the third water jet 19 is to raise the top of the crest and equalize the converging water jets 17 and 18 with respect to each other.

What I claim, is:

A drinking fountain head adapted to produce a curving column of water having a drinking mound of less width than height at its crest, comprising a hollow body member having an inclined flat upper wall, a plurality of outlet passages in said wall having their outlets arranged in the same horizontal plane and an outlet passage in said wall having its outlet arranged in a plane slightly above said horizontal plane, said first outlet passages laterally converging toward each other in a plane angularly related to the longitudinal axis of said body member and perpendicular to the plane of the stream to be produced and the other passage converging to the point of intersection between said first two outlet passages in the plane of the curved stream to be produced.

HALSEY W. TAYLOR. 

